Free Will Astrology

Free Will Astrology Week of Dec. 9, 2010

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the coming weeks, life will beguile you with secrets and riddles but probably not reveal as much as you'd like. I think this is an opportunity, not a problem. In my opinion, your task isn't to press for shiny clarity, but rather to revel in the luxuriant mysteries. Let them confer their blessings on you through the magic of teasing and tantalizing. And what is the nature of those blessings? To enlighten your irrational mind, stimulate your imagination, teach you patience and nurture your connection with eternity.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Butterflies recall at least some of what they've learned during their time as caterpillars. The metamorphosis they go through is dramatic, turning their bodies into a soupy goo before remaking them into winged gliders. And yet they retain the gist of the lessons they mastered while in their earlier form. I see something comparable ahead for you in 2011, Taurus. It's as if you will undergo a kind of reincarnation without having to endure the inconvenience of actually dying. Like a butterfly, the wisdom you've earned in your old self will accompany you into your new life. Are you ready? The process begins soon.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What nourishes you emotionally and spiritually, Gemini? I'm not talking about what entertains you or flatters you or takes your mind off your problems. I'm referring to the influences that make you stronger and the people who see you for who you really are and the situations that teach you life-long lessons. I mean the beauty that replenishes your psyche and the symbols that consistently restore your balance and the memories that keep feeding your ability to rise to each new challenge. Take inventory of these precious assets. And then make a special point of nurturing them back.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Two-thirds of American elementary-school teachers spend their own money to buy food for their poor students. Meanwhile, there's a 50 percent chance that an American kid will, at some point in his or her young life, resort to using government aid in the form of food stamps. Those facts make me angry and motivate me to volunteer to distribute free food at the local food bank. I encourage you, my fellow Cancerian, to summon your own good reasons to get riled up in behalf of people who have less luck and goodness than you do. It's always therapeutic to stretch your generosity and spread your wealth, but doing so will especially redound to your advantage in the coming weeks. Unselfish acts will bring profound selfish benefits.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): According to some sources, the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates practiced the art of sculpture as a young man. But he abandoned it early on, deciding that he wanted to "carve his soul rather than marble." Can I interest you in turning your attention to that noble, gritty task, Leo? It would be a fine time to do some intensive soul-carving. Soul-scouring, too, would be both fun and wise, as well as soul-etching and soul-emblazoning and soul-accessorizing. I highly recommend that you enjoy a prolonged phase of renovating and replenishing your most precious work of art.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In her haunting tune "One Blood," Virgo singer Lila Downs confesses that "the deepest fear [is] my desire." I personally know many Virgos who make a similar lament. How about you? Is there any way in which you are scared of the power of your longing? Do you ever find yourself reluctant to unleash the full force of your passion, worried that it could drive you out of control or lead you astray? If so, the coming weeks will be prime time to face down your misgivings. It's time to liberate your desires, at least a little.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here are your words of power: hybrid, amalgamation, composite, aggregate, medley, alloy, ensemble. Now here are your words of disempowerment: welter, mishmash, jumble, hodgepodge, patchwork. Strive to accentuate the first category and avoid the second. Your task is to create a pleasing, synergetic arrangement from a multiplicity of factors, even as you avoid throwing together a hash of diverse influences into an unholy mess. Be calculating and strategic, not rash and random, as you do your blending.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): On my Facebook page, I posted this excerpt from a Pablo Neruda love poem (translated by Stephen Tapscott): "Our love is like a well in the wilderness where time watches over the wandering lightning. Our sleep is a secret tunnel that leads to the scent of apples carried on the wind." In response, a reader named John F. Gamboa said this: "I once found a well in the desert. There was a rope and a bucket. The bucket had a small hole in it. While pulling up the bucket of water, about half of it drained. But I suppose a decent bucket would have been stolen. So a bucket with a small hole was perfect; I got what I needed!" I'm here to tell you, Scorpio, that like Gamboa, a bucket with a small hole is probably what you need right now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You've arrived at a delicate yet boisterous turning point when one-of-a-kind opportunities are budding. I'm going to give you seven phrases that I think capture the essence of this pregnant moment: 1) wise innocence; 2) primal elegance; 3) raw holiness; 4) electrifying poise; 5) curative teasing; 6) rigorous play; 7) volcanic tenderness. To maximize your ability to capitalize on the transformations that are available, I suggest you seek out and cultivate these seemingly paradoxical states of being.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): For years I've had recurring dreams of finding treasure amidst trash. I interpret this to mean that I should always be alert, in my waking life, for the possibility that I might come across beautiful or valuable stuff that's mixed in with what has been discarded or forgotten. Recently I heard about a literal embodiment of this theme. A sewage treatment plant in Japan announced that it has been culling huge amounts of gold from the scum and slop—so much so that their haul outstrips the yield at the country's top gold mine. I urge you to make this your metaphor of the week, Capricorn. What riches might you be able to pluck out of the dirt and shadows?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Should you store up your energy, postpone your gratification and withhold your full intensity for a more opportune time? Hell no! Should you await further data before making a definitive conclusion, fantasize dreamily about some more perfect future, and retreat into a self-protective cocoon? Double hell no! And if thoughts like those have been poking up into your awareness, exorcise them immediately. It is high time for you to grab the best goodies, reveal the whole truth and employ your ultimate schemes. You are primed to make a big play, call on all the help you've been promised and transform the "what ifs" into "no doubts."

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In Taio Cruz's mega-hit pop song "Dynamite," he describes how excited he is to go dancing at his favorite nightclub. "I throw my hands up in the air," he exults. "I wanna celebrate and live my life ... I'm wearin' all my favorite brands." In advising you about the best ways to ride the current cosmic rhythms, Pisces, I'll use Cruz as both a role model and an anti-role model. You should be like him in the sense of being eager to throw your hands up in the air. Right now it's your sacred duty to intensify your commitment to revelry and find every possible excuse to celebrate your life. On the other hand, it's crucial that you don't wear all your favorite brands. To get the full benefits from this time of festive release, you will need, as much as humanly possible, to declare your independence from corporate brainwashing and escape the intelligence-sapping mindset of consumerism.

Homework: What's the situation in your life where it's hardest for you to be loving? Practice being a master of compassion there in the coming week.

Go to realastrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at (877) 873-4888 or (900) 950-7700.